Russia Loses 10,000 Troops in 2 Weeks As Ukraine Recovers 50 Percent of Land

Tempers are flaring in Moscow as the retreat from Kherson and stories about Russian casualties incense even Putin's most loyal supporters. JL

Anders Anglesey reports in Newsweek:

Ukraine has now regained 50 percent of its territory back. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia had lost 10,000 troops in just over two weeks. Ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, known as "Putin's Brain," called the Russian president an autocrat with ultimate power over the war as he accused him of "surrendering." Dugin said that the retreat undermines Russian ideology by failing to defend "Russian cities." He then went one step further and suggested Putin could be overthrown

Russia has lost 10,000 troops in two weeks as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive, according to Kyiv officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has apparently failed to capitalize on the success Russian forces made in the opening phase of the war, with Ukrainians now liberating its territory, including the strategically important Kherson city.

ABC News foreign correspondent James Longman said on Saturday that Ukraine has now regained 50 percent of its territory back. In a Sunday Facebook update, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said Russia had lost some 10,000 troops in just over two weeks, with the overall figure now standing at 80,860. Since its last daily update, Ukrainian officials sa

The post added that 1,837 Russian artillery systems had been captured or destroyed along with 278 planes and 261 helicopters in the past 24 hours.

 

It comes after Ukrainian officials announced on October 29 that 70,000 Russians had been killed since the outbreak of the war on February 24.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that Russia could reach 100,000 fatalities during the war, but added that it would not change the Kremlin's mind or approach to the conflict.

Russia rarely releases casualty and fatality figures, and last said a few thousand had died. Both its estimates and Ukraine's have been questioned by war analysts and have been dismissed.

 

While Russia's troop fatalities are not confirmed, Moscow has ordered forces to withdraw from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson.

Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have urged caution and added they are skeptical of Russia's intentions in retreating.

Earlier this week Zelensky said: "Our emotions must be restrained. The enemy does not bring us gifts. Therefore, we move very carefully, without emotions, without unnecessary risk."

 

Kherson had been the first major region to fall to Russia at the outbreak of the war and had been the most visible achievement of its campaign due to its strategic location and close proximity to annexed Crimea.

However, the retreat from Kherson this week has led Putin's allies to hit out at the Russian military and the leader himself.

Ultranationalist Alexander Dugin, known as "Putin's Brain," called the Russian president on Saturday an autocrat with ultimate power over the war as he accused him of "surrendering."

Dugin said that the retreat undermines Russian ideology by failing to defend "Russian cities.He then went one step further and suggested Putin could be overthrown in a veiled warning shared on Telegram.